I'm getting a bit more serious about my photography lately and although I don't have an immediate plan for a new business I thought I would at least need a new domain name to display my work on. "stickerpimp.com" doesn't lend one to think "photography".
I wanted to get away from "pimp" names and opt for something a little more "professional" but while talking with a friend on the phone, bouncing proposed names back and forth, I muttered a goofy name as a tongue-in-cheek comment... and my friend just about had a heart attack. Her reaction was the deciding factor.
So.... be on the lookout for shutterpimp.com. I bought the domain name yesterday.
It kinda rolls right off the tongue. I think I like it better than stickerpimp. Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Gotta be honest with you - I'd tend to want to do business with someone with a more professional name. That's just my opinion though. I'm a fairly formal person. Our society has become very informal in the last 10 years or so.
Mike Pipes Photography Studios I would call...ShutterPimp I would not.
Posted by Lotti Prokott (Member # 2684) on :
Sorry, but I second Kimberley's comment.
Sure looking forward to seeing your photography though. Can you show us an example?
Posted by Tony Ray Mattingly (Member # 469) on :
Yep, It sounds like someone who does photography for porn sites. Sorry, just my opinion.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
Tony, My thoughts exactly. Can you imagine what someone would bring up if they couldn't quite remember Mikes URl and had to google for it.
I don't think that you would want to call it "PHOTOS BY MP's" either.
[ December 04, 2004, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: Laura Butler ]
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Sorry, but I tend to agree with the sentiments above.
I too would like to see your work though.
-dan
Posted by Adam May (Member # 4844) on :
Photo is a though business to break into. People usually think of formal timeless portraits. Or they are looking for something completely original and creative. I opened my Photo studio under the name AMP Studio and spent 3 years telling people that I do not do stereo installations. We are now established and over the hump. But the first couple years were a little tough because of name recognition.
If you can make it 3 years as the shutterpimp go for it. I can only imagine the type of phone calls you will answer with pimping questions.
On the other had Pimp Juice works and sells like hotcakes.
Posted by Michael Berry (Member # 2604) on :
Yup,
I agree with the others, when it has "pimp" in it, it's not thought of in a positive professional way, I think you know what folks first thoughts are......
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
I told Mike on chat that I liked it...BUT that it brought to mind a guy taking pics of women through their shutters.
Since you asked Mike....
Maybe listen???
*edited to say*
I guess you didn't actually ask....
So do what ever you want!!!
[ December 05, 2004, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
Posted by Chuck Gallagher (Member # 69) on :
PimpDaddyPictures.com
Sorry Mike, when of those moods today!!!
[ December 05, 2004, 12:14 AM: Message edited by: Chuck Gallagher ]
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
I dont really think its that bad for a domain name....click on the homepage icon under his name and you see that his business name is Digital Illusion,not stickerpimp,thats just the domain name...i dont think digital illusion is a bad name for a digital photograpy business,if shutterpimp.com helps people thru a gimmick,what the he*l. I might not use it,but i dont think its any less professional than a guy name dan using Dans Plumbing, or someone named joe calling his sign business Joes Signs or Signs by Joe. Just an opinion.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Just like my stickerpimp name, shutterpimp is merely a website URL, an address where people can find me, completely separate from the official business name.
It may be a bit low brow, but just like stickerpimp, it elicits a reaction from people. They might chuckle, they might furrow a brow, either way the name is stuck in their heads and won't be forgotten.
stickerpimp has branded itself because it's kinda off the wall, shutterpimp very well might do the same thing. Hardly any of my customers know me by the official biz name, and that's fine with me as long as they know me somehow.
I can do the fine art photography but that stuff does not pay the bills anyway so I'm not worried about the impact of a name on that side of the business. Action and event photography is what I'm concentrating on as far as business is concerned, related to jetskis, motocross, skate, automotive, etc which are my current markets anyway so I essentially have built-in clientele - I can already tell you these people don't care about the name, in fact they tend to gravitate to it if given a choice between a place with a "normal/formal" name and me. Product photography for online shopping & catalogs and generic photography for stock image firms are other bread and butter outlets, both of which I'd still correspond using the official business name.
Here's a few of my "fine art" shots. I think these are rather beautiful personally, offering unique perspectives of the London Bridge and quite a mysterious mood. I often wish I had a "Jack the Ripper" character in a black trench coat sneaking into the frame looking down the stairs.
I went into all the local art gallery/frame shops in town, everyone of them the owners saying they don't have ANY pictures of the London Bridge for sale because nobody has offered them, yet lots of customers asking for them. You want to know what they told me about my pictures?
"These are very nice but they're too dark (duh, shot at night time, that tends to happen) and they need to be in color. These won't sell."
I sorta agree, the art is lost on most people so these particular images probably wouldn't do the high volume thing, but considering the photos they have right now (none) you'd think something would be better than nothing.
Anyway, here are the pictures I'm referring to. I've posted these before.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
Very nice B & W's
Posted by Rovelle W. Gratz (Member # 4404) on :
I personally prefer black and white photography over color. I like the contrasty effect on your posted shots.
I also prefer black and white drawings. Pen & ink and pencil.
If you are gearing up toward the clients you stated, the name works fine, but like some said, it suggests the shadier side of photography, or pornography.
Posted by Mike Pulskamp (Member # 3475) on :
Mike, I'm cool with the name, But I Love the Pics! The first thing that popped into my mind was that they would explode as a B&W screenprint over hand painted color. A la Andy Warhol. Nice stuff!
Posted by Lotti Prokott (Member # 2684) on :
I really like your photos, I can just see the kind of room these could be hanging in: white walls, sleek designer furniture, lots of chrome and black leather.
If the photos were in colour they wouldn't be half as dramatic.
Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
How about:
Pipe Dreams Photo? Negative Impact? ImagePipe? PhotoPipe? Eight By Tentative? Eight by Tendency? Eight by Tenacious?
Posted by Jeff Thames (Member # 6590) on :
Mike,
I am a young man and to me Shutterpimp.com is definitely a name that I would remember. However I agree with the other people that say it doesn't sound to professional. But having said that I like it.
Now as far as getting your pictures seen by thousands of people I suggest you go to my website and put them in my "showcased" section. It is cool to see how many people get major exposure through the site. I have people all the time asking me how to get in touch with a photographer that has posted on the site.
Mike I think you should try to make it a bit more worldly... how about International House Of Photography
Posted by Mike O'Neill (Member # 470) on :
Pimp - "One whom makes profit off another person's work."
Don't know why anyone would want to be associated with this term in any way, shape or form.
But hey, if the handle fits -'go for it' Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Dang talk about a thread resurrected from the dead!
I did reserve shutterpimp.com but let the domain lapse after the year was up, just didn't do anything with it and didn't feel like hanging on to the name.
Instead I've decided to use mikepipes.com and it's live, it just points back at my graphics site which is getting a major overhaul behind the scenes here. This domain will work better for me because as the business changes the website can simply get an update and it's not locked into particular industry or type of work - it's just about me. Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
looks like Jeff Thames must have done a search on "photopipe" & scored a hit on this thread from Gene's name suggestion of 2-1/2 years ago.
Posted by Mike O'Neill (Member # 470) on :
lol
I gotta learn to look at dates !
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
Great moments in history:
Bill: "I'm going to start a company and I'm going to call it Microsoft" Forum: "LOL, are you naming it after your wedding tackle?"
Michael: "I'm going to start a company and I'm going to call it Dell" Forum: "LOL, are you selling fairy tales because thats the only Dell I've ever heard of"
Steve: "I'm going to start a company and I'm going to call it Apple" Forum: "Good luck with the fruit stall"
Jeff: "I'm going to start a company and I'm going to call it Amazon" Forum: "Oh jeeez, not another environmental group"
Good luck Pimp, hope the monniker (sp?) works for you
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